


Stepping Off the Beaten Path

by MmeSatan



Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 08:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20485952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MmeSatan/pseuds/MmeSatan
Summary: A new Papa takes the reins as the previous quietly walks away.





	Stepping Off the Beaten Path

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rubrikate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubrikate/gifts).

> Part of rubrikate's Temporis series. Kinda. Sorta.

_ Sweden _

_ September 22nd, 1955 _

_ 5:39 AM _

  


Papa Emeritus I quietly exited the chapel by a side door after a long night of rituals and ceremonies. Amidst the commotion, he and the red haired woman holding his arm went completely unnoticed, despite the black and crimson chasuble and white mitre he was wearing. After all, a new Papa had been inaugurated and was now the center of attention for the congregation.

The couple made their way toward the main buildings, following a rarely traveled path that passed by the kitchen. Instead of continuing to the wing where their apartment was, he stopped there, walking to the kitchen entrance.

“Aldo,” his companion said, perplexed, “hadn’t you decided to skip the banquet today?”

“I did, my dear, but I have a surprise for you,” he replied. As they reached the door in the still dark dawn, he added, “Please wait for me here, I’ll be back in a minute.” Léonie nodded and stood close to the stone wall, watching him walk in. The air was cool and she wrapped her shawl around herself for more warmth.

Aldo had, as usual, underestimated how long this would take him, and only after several minutes did he come out, now wearing a grey tweed suit and white shirt, his face cleaned of his ritual face paint, and holding a large picnic basket. “Pardon me, Léonie. You know how chattery Sister Sophia is.”

She laughed and kissed his cheek, linking her arm with his once more. “I do. I also stopped expecting you to be on time years ago, _ mon chéri._”

Aldo lead the way to a secluded patch of lawn behind the greenhouse, where he placed down the basket as the sun began to rise over the forest. Léonie opened it. “So _ that_’s where this went,” she exclaimed, pulling out a quilted blanket that Aldo helped her lay on the grass. She shook her head. “I thought it had been lost when I sent it down with the laundry. You know how long this one took me to sew. I was sure it was gone for good.”

“I wanted to keep this a surprise, dearest, I hope you’ll forgive me.” He pulled out a bottle of 1926 Dom Pérignon and two champagne flutes, followed by a few platters of sandwiches and pastries to share. They sat down on the quilt, side by side, facing the sunrise, and Aldo opened and poured the champagne before raising his glass. “To a new era,” he said, his voice soft and even.

“To your retirement,” she replied, clinking her glass with his. Then, leaning against his side, she added, “Aren’t you going to miss this? Being Papa?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I was never made for this life. Meetings and rituals and paperwork and more meetings…” He chuckled. “No, Vittorio is better suited for the job than I ever was. He’s still young, but he’s always liked the limelight more than I have. He will be a good leader, I think, with proper guidance.”

“So you’ll be keeping your role as his personal advisor then?”

“I’m only doing what an older brother should do. Making sure he’s on the right path. He can be self-destructive in his stubbornness…” He kissed Léonie’s brow. “But I promise, my love, that I will rest and take care of myself.”

She smiled. “At last! I’ve only been asking you to do so for the last 14 years.So no more work then, a quiet, uneventful life?”

He laughed, and she joined him. “Of course not, there’s so much to do on the grounds.” He looked around. “The rose garden needs better tending to. So do the apple trees. I want to build a new greenhouse, for my personal collection. And then…” His voice trailed off.

“Hedge maze dreams?”

Aldo smiled and turned to face Léonie. “How did you know?”

She kissed him. “I’ve been in love with you for over 20 years, Aldo. You’ve been planning that maze for most of them. It’s time.”

“Yes, it is time. It will be a lot of work. It will require time and patience. But with you by my side, dearest, I can accomplish anything.” They sat in comfortable silence in the brisk early morning, enjoying food and wine and quiet as they had rarely been able to in recent years. 

Soon, the distant sound of Brothers and Sisters of Sin grew louder and closer as they left the coronation banquet to continue their celebrations elsewhere. Aldo sighed, the exhaustion he had been feeling for months creeping back with the noise. “Perhaps I should get some proper rest before starting my projects.”

“You deserve it, _ mon chéri_.” Carefully, she began to pack the basket, arranging things as not to waste any food. “I’ve been thinking, how about we spend a few weeks in Provence? I haven’t been since I was a girl, visiting _ grand-mère_.”

He looked at her, his brow furrowed, doubtful. “I’m not sure leaving so soon is a good idea, Léonie, Vittorio--”

She placed a finger on his lips. “Vittorio is ready, you said so yourself. Besides, it’s your father’s responsibility to oversee him, not yours.” She moved closer, her hazel eyes staring into his mismatched ones. “A few weeks, just the two of us, the warm sun, and lavender fields…”

Aldo held her close and kissed her once more. “You know me so well, _ mon amour_.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a silly little character piece I wrote because Papa I deserves more love.
> 
> Written as part of rubrikate's amazing Temporis series at her suggestion, because she's busy with the core stories and at this point we basically read each other's mind. I couldn't have written this without you, dear friend ♡
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


End file.
